A handyman was being questioned by detectives last night over the death of
two-year-old Jamie Heaton in the Oldham gas explosion.

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Jamie HeatonPhoto: FACEBOOK

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A scene of the aftermath of the explosionPhoto: Cavendish Press

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Thirty houses and a nursery were evacuatedPhoto: PA

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Graphic showing the location of a gas explosion near Oldham which destroyed several houses

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Police, firefighters and paramedics at the scene of the explosion near Buckley Street and Duchess Street in Oldham, Greater Manchester.Photo: Getty

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Emergency services at the scene of the the explosion in OldhamPhoto: PA

By Nigel Bunyan

4:16PM BST 28 Jun 2012

The 32-year-old man is thought to have carried out recent maintenance work on a boiler at the house occupied by the toddler’s next-door neighbours.

He was arrested in London overnight on suspicion of manslaughter and later driven north for “robust” questioning over the blast which also destroyed four houses and severely damaged several more in Shaw, Oldham, Greater Manchester.

Jamie, one of three children, died as he watched television in the front room of his terraced home in Buckley Street.

His mother, Michelle Heaton, 28, was hanging out her washing at the time. She clawed her way through rubble to try to reach him.

Last night detectives remained at the hospital bedside of the Heatons’ next-door neighbour, Andrew Partington, who suffered extensive burns in the explosion.

However, he confirmed that the suspect came from the Shaw area and was thought to have done some maintenance work on the house Mr Partington shared with his girlfriend, Tanya Williams, also 27.

The couple moved into the rented property six weeks ago. Miss Williams’ sister, Cizzy, said yesterday that the boiler broke a short time later, and as a result their landlord sent someone round to look at it.

Greater Manchester Police are continuing to treat Jamie’s death as murder.

Despite the arrest of the handyman, the main thrust of the investigation is understood to centre on the minutes before the explosion.

Mr Heywood confirmed that Mr Partington was arrested “four or five weeks ago” over a common assault on Miss Williams.

Police had taken “robust action” over the incident and launched a prosecution. Mr Partington was given a conditional discharge by local magistrates.

The ACC said: “We do have questions for Mr Partington, and we have officers looking after his welfare at the moment”.

He said that further arrests could not be ruled out.

Buckley Street remains a major scene sealed off by many yards of police tape.

Senior officers have warned local residents that they will deal “robustly” with anyone who breaches the cordon.

Some properties are in so perilous a condition that they will remain out of bounds for the foreseeable future.

However, residents whose homes are less severely damaged will be allowed brief access visits in the company of police and health and safety officials.

The Bishop of Middleton, the Rt Rev Mark Davies, opened a book of condolence at St James’ Church, a few hundred yards from the seat of the exploision.

He said: “More than anything we want to support Jamie’s family, for them to know lots of people are praying for them and thinking of them.

“Lighting a candle for Jamie is a powerful symbol in a very dark time for the community.

“The church will give people a place of peace and quiet and a place to reflect”.

Mr Partington suffered 20 per cent burns in the explosion, which destroyed four houses and damaged several more in Buckley St, Shaw, near Oldham, Greater Manchester, and was last night under sedation in hospital.

He lived at the house with his partner Tanya Williams and five children. Officers were waiting to speak to him when he woke up and said they had “significant questions” for him.

Mrs Heaton, who lived with her husband, Kenny, 29, and their three children, had spoken recently on Facebook about her “wonderful” children and how life as a family was so good.

Whilst senior officers admitted that a domestic situation on Monday night was playing a role in their enquiry, Steve Heywood, Assistant Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, said: “We have had some information to suggest it may not be accidental so we are treating it as a suspicious death and therefore a homicide investigation is undertaken.

“One of the early indications was that it may not have been an accident, therefore we will always then up the ante and treat it as a suspicious death inquiry.

"There might have been some precursor event, like a domestic incident. All those things are still in our thinking at this time."

Mr Partington - a joiner originally from Rochdale who was recently made redundant, according to locals - was still under sedation and unconscious at Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester.